1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an apparatus for producing confections, and more particularly, the present invention pertains to an apparatus for freezing confection material to thereby form frozen confections.
2. Description of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 3,031,978 to M. B. Rasmusson discloses an apparatus for freezing confection material comprising a plurality of elongate mold bars or strips, with each strip including a row of mold cups depending therefrom. Each mold cup has polygonal cross-sectional configurations adapted to the desired shape of the frozen confection, and the mold cups are arranged in a single row in each strip with the wider dimensions of the cups extending longitudinally of the mold strip (that is, parallel to the row of mold cups). The freezing apparatus further includes a coolant tank for containing a bath of coolant such as a brine solution and an endless chain conveyor for moving the mold strips in closely spaced sequence through the coolant tank with the mold cups extending downwardly into the coolant bath. The heat exchanger for refrigerating the coolant is located outside of the tank, and the coolant is pumped from the heat exchanger through a manifold in the bottom of the tank upwardly into the tank. It is noted that in this type of prior art confection freezing apparatus care must be taken in circulating the coolant within the tank due to the possibility that the coolant may be forced upwardly between the mold strips. Accordingly, the coolant is so circulated to maintain liquid level of the coolant bath at a distance significantly below the upper ends of the mold cups. Accordingly, the coolant does not surround the upper end of the mold cups, and thus confection material cannot be filled to the tops of the cups because the confection would not be completely frozen above the liquid level of the coolant bath.
In another type of apparatus for freezing confection material, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,791,890 to O. G. Hoeyer, the mold cups are formed in a rather massive annular mold member and are arranged in a plurality of rows that extend radially of the mold member with the wider dimensions of the mold cups extending parallel to the rows in which they are formed. Liquid coolant is supplied to an annular supply and distribution container having a perforated upper wall which forms the bottom of a refrigeration tank. The annular mold member is rotated about its axis so that the mold cups move in a horizontal path through the refrigeration tank, and the coolant is supplied under pressure to the distribution container to cause the coolant to well up through the openings in the bottom wall of the tank. It is further noted that such frozen confection apparatus includes a refrigeration plant or heat exchanger for refrigerating the coolant that is located outside of the coolant distribution container, and the coolant is pumped from the heat exchanger into the distribution chamber of the freezing apparatus.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,535,889 to Curti discloses a rotary freezing apparatus that is generally similar to that of the Hoeyer U.S. Pat. No. 2,791,890. In the frozen confection apparatus of the Curti patent, a massive annular mold member having cups depending in the same radial relationships as in the aforementioned Hoeyer patent is rotated through an annular freezing tank in which coolant ducts are arranged below the mold cups. The coolant ducts have cover members provided with a plurality of holes arranged in a pattern according to the spacing between the mold cups. The duct cover members are provided with vertical side walls so that the coolant falling from the mold cups is retained in a shallow pool on the cover member, and coolant is pumped into the coolant ducts to well up through the holes in the cover member. As the coolant emanates from such holes, it agitates the retained coolant to cause the retained coolant to splash against the molds. The Curti patent states that such splashing action enhances the freezing of the confection material with the mold cups. It is further noted that, in contrast to the Hoeyer apparatus, the heat exchanger system for refrigerating the coolant in the Curti apparatus is situated under the coolant ducts. Such heat exchanger system includes a container for receiving a deep bath of brine that flows over the side walls of the coolant duct cover members, and the system further includes heat exchanger coils that are totally immersed within such deep bath.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,614,403 to W. E. Heise discloses a confection freezing apparatus wherein coolant is sprayed at an angle from the vertical against the bottoms of the mold cups. The apparatus includes a rectangular freezer tank formed with a plurality of longitudinal partitions which form alternate up-flow compartments and down-flow compartment. Refrigerating coils are arranged in both the up-flow and down-flow compartments. The mold members each include two rows of cups which extend longitudinally of the direction of travel thereof, and such mold members are moved over the up-flow compartments with the coolant being sprayed upwardly only between the rows of cups of the respective mold members.